Bed-lounge



(No Model.)

0. STENGEL.

BED LOUNGE.

Patented July 12, '1 8 81.

A5 -llllim WITNESSES:

. AJTO RNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CASS STENGEL, OF HAMILTON, OHIO.

BED-LOUNGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,085, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed May 27, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, (JAss STENGEL, of Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed- Lounges, of which the following is a specification.

Letters Patent No. 85,391, granted Decemher 29, 1868, to W. H. Lotz, set forth a bedlounge in which the lounge proper is in the form of a shell covering a second lounge beneath it. The shell is linked by means of two radius-bars to the base-lounge, and by means of an areal motion the shell can be swung from its position above the base-lounge to a position by its side and level with it, thus forming a wide bed. The operation of opening or closing this lounge requires that the shell be lifted in its areal line and then dropped into its new position. With a heavy shell the operation requires considerable power. When the Lotz lounge is open the bottom of the shell rests directly on the floor, and the article hecomes a heavy fixed piece of furniture. If casters were placed at the bottom of the shell in any obvious manner, they would form an unsightly incongruity when the lounge was closed, as these casters would then be several inches from the floor.

My invention relates to the arrangement of casters upon the shell of a Lotz lounge, and to the arrangement of a spring, in combination with the link-motion, in such manner as to neutralize the weight of the shell in the operation of opening and closing the lounge.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the lounge closed ;.Fig. 2, a front view of one end, with a portion cut away to expose one of the shell-casters; Fig. 3, an end elevation and section, showing position of shell-caster; Fig.4, a plan of the lounge-frame open, showing the neutralizing-spring; and Fig. 5, a view of the link-pivot, in connection with a modified application of the spring.

Reference should be had to the Lotz patent above referred to, and also to Patent No. 169,978, granted November 16, 1875, to F. Fishbeck, which latter patent sets forth means for rendering the Lotz lounge movement more satisfactory in several ways.

In Fig. l, O is the shell. The base G has legs and casters A. B is the line of separation between the shell and base. P is the front board of the shell, and D D are cornerfinish panels at the ends of this front board. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a notch, F, is cut in the front board, P, at each end of the lounge, and in these notches the common casters E are fixed, so as to bring the bottom of their wheels slightly below the lower edge of the front board, I. The panels D cover the notches and casters. These casters E are in visible at all times, and when the lounge is open they bear upon the floor in an obvious manner.

Notches might be cut in the base-front to receive the projection of the casters, and the notchesin the board Pthus be dispensed with, without departing from my invention.

In Figs. 3 and 4, H H are the links uniting the shell 0 and base Gr, said links being fixed on the ends of the pivot-rod J, which runs the length of the base. The base G supports the pivot-bearin g. Around the pivot-rod J, I place the coiled spring L, attaching one end of the spring to a link-hub and the other end to the framing of the base G. I fix the spring so that when the links H are vertical the spring will be inert and under no strain. Whichever way the links are moved the spring will be strained torsionally, and will tend to resist the motion of the links. In this manner the spring tends to hold the links in a vertical position and to lift the shell or neutralize its weight,

thus rendering the opening and closing of the lounge an easy operation. There are other equivalent methods of arranging the spring.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 two springs, M M, attaching to the arm 0 of the link, are inert when the link is vertical, as shown, but in an obvious manner will tend to resist motion of the link in either direction.

I consider any arrangement of a spring or combination of springs-so fixed as to resist the depression of the links H in either direction as coming within the scope of this my present invention. 7

The spring should be of such stiffness as to properly neutralize the weight of the shell,

without beingstiff enough to prevent the drop- 2. In bed-lounges of the class specified, the

ping of the shell into its complete opening and combination of shell (J, base G, links H, pivotclosing positions. rod J, and neutralizing-spring L, substantially I claim as my invenftionas and for the purpose set forth. 1. In bed-lounges 0 that class in which the 5 shell occupies a higher position when closed (JASS STENGEL than when open, the combination of the shell Witnesses:

G with its front board,l?, recesses F, and shell- J. W. SEE,

casters E, substantially as and for the purpose J. E. MOREY.

1o specified. 

